IFPRI VACANCY POSTING  POSITION # 07-105 (R) (LOCALLY RECRUITED POSITION)

TITLE:                                    RESEARCH ANALYST
LOCATION :                        WASHINGTON, D.C.
DIVISION: 
ENVIRONMENT, PRODUCTION & TECHNOLOGY (EPTD)
GRADE:                                14C
REPORTS TO:                    STANLEY WOOD SCIENTIST /PROGRAM HEAD, EPTD

POSTING DATE:                FEBRUAURY 12, 2007

CLOSING DATE:                MARCH 12, 2007 or until filled

JOB SUMMARY

IFPRI’s new strategic research theme on Global 
Change, hosted by the Environment and Production 
Technology Division (EPTD), seeks a skilled, 
conscientious and innovative GIS professional to 
support strategic, policy-focused research across 
a range of geographic scales from sub-national 
through to global. Current regional foci are 
Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, but the 
underlying perspectives on challenges and 
opportunities for poverty and hunger alleviation 
in developing countries are global. This position 
is based at IFPRI headquarters in Washington DC, 
but it is likely to involve occasional travel to 
countries in which IFPRI conducts or disseminates its research activities.

The success of the Global Change research program 
will depend, in part, on its ability to develop 
and maintain large, integrated sets of spatial 
and tabular data linked to a range of biophysical 
(e.g. hydrological, crop growth, land degradation 
and land use) and economic models. Thematically, 
data and analyses will encompass spatial 
dimensions of climate and climate change, soils, 
agricultural production systems, ecosystem 
services, economic activity, market access, and 
multiple dimensions of human well-being. The 
ability to bridge gaps between different scales, 
methods, and disciplinary perspectives is central 
to the work of the Global Change program.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

The successful candidate will perform the following duties:

·          Document, catalogue, and manage a very 
large and growing collection of national, 
regional and global spatial data sets.

·          Take the lead in articulating and 
implementing the spatial (primarily raster-based) 
analysis tasks required to generate the 
GIS-related technical outputs required to support the team’s research.

·          Develop tools within the ArcGIS 
environment to systematize routine GIS procedures 
required by the team including standardized query 
and retrieval options to generate datasets for 
biophysical and economic models. This will likely 
require a capacity to write database, 
object-oriented or procedural language code to 
manipulate large datasets for such specialized analytical functions.

·          Prepare maps for research articles and reports

·          Together with IT (including WWW) 
specialists in IFPRI and the CGIAR contribute to 
the design and implementation of a capacity to 
share spatial data, analytical tools and 
analytical results through both the intranet and the internet.



REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

·          Master’s level degree in a relevant 
discipline (e.g., geography, agricultural or 
environmental science, engineering or economics).

·          Have majored in the study and 
application of GIS (preferably including remote 
sensing), spatial analysis methods, and have 
considerable, proven expertise in the management 
and use of geographic information systems (GIS) 
using raster data, and in the 
quantitative/statistical analysis of large 
spatial datasets, preferably in the context of 
agricultural or environmental science.

·          Proficient and experienced in the use 
of an appropriate database, object-oriented, or 
procedural programming language supporting both 
the manipulation of large data bases (usually 
raster GIS files), and the utilization of spatial 
analytical programming tools such as GIS macro 
languages, MapObjects or ArcObjects.

·          Ability to work in and contribute 
fully to an inter-disciplinary team is essential.

·          Result oriented, well-organized, and 
will already have a number of research outputs to their credit.

·          Ability to communicate well, including 
the ability to generate quality written outputs describing technical work.

·          Knowledge of the application of 
agricultural production or natural resource 
process models (e.g., crop simulation, soil 
degradation, crop-livestock systems), preferably 
in a spatial and economic context, would be a distinct advantage.





IFPRI is one of the international agricultural 
research institutes organized under the umbrella 
of the Consultative Group on International 
Agricultural Research (CGIAR).  The mandate of 
IFPRI is to identify and analyze alternative 
national and international strategies and 
policies for meeting world food needs in ways 
that conserve the natural resource base, with 
emphasis on low income and on the poorer groups in the countries.



IFPRI offers a multicultural, collegial research 
environment with competitive salary and excellent 
benefits.  IFPRI is an international and equal 
opportunity organization and believes that 
diversity of its staff contributes to excellence. 
We encourage women and developing country professionals to apply.


TO APPLY:

Internal Candidates:  Please send cover letter & 
resume – via email – to Alma López.

External Candidates:  Log on to www.ifpri.org 
.  Click on “Careers” and “Research” to link you 
to Position # 07-105 – EPTD Research 
Analyst.  Please complete on-line application, 
including a complete curriculum vitae and a 
detailed letter of interest.  Also complete section providing 3 references.

For more information on IFPRI, please visit our website at www.ifpri.org. EOE


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Gerrit Hoogenboom
Professor &
Coordinator of Research, Extension and Instruction
Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering
The University of Georgia
165 Gordon Futral Court
Griffin, Georgia 30223-1797, USA

1-770-229-3438 (voice); 1-770-228-7218 (fax)
mailto:[log in to unmask]
www.Georgiaweather.net
www.GerritHoogenboom.com
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